All posts filed under: Politics

Let’s face it, the marriage equality postal survey sucks. We didn’t want it, much of the Australian public didn’t want it – but we’re stuck with it. Now that the High Court has dashed any hope of getting rid of the postal survey, it’s time to unite to make sure we win a YES for marriage equality. Unlike a regular election, it isn’t compulsory and we know from past statistics on postal surveys that young people aged 18-24 are the least likely to respond to them. It’s up to everyone who is voting yes to make sure we can encourage as many people as possible to vote in favour of marriage equality, even in the face of adversity and lies from much of the ‘no’ side. Here are some tips on how to win the marriage equality postal survey: One-to-One conversations Social media is incredibly important, but the truth is one-to-one conversations with as many people as possible will be key in determining who will win this survey. This means volunteering and making calls with …

News around the upcoming postal vote on marriage equality in Australia has been very topical on TV, social media and in conversations with family and friends alike. The non-binding vote, which will be mailed out on September 12, will show the Australian government whether Australian people agree with LGBTIQ+ people having the right to marry in Australia. When the general population are given the opportunity to express their opinion/s about someone else’s basic human rights, it can change the direction of the conversation immensely. Currently, despite the very positive voices of love and support across Australia, negative and harmful opinions have been amplified. This can, and is, taking a toll on the mental health and well-being of many LGBTIQ+ people in Australia. Everyone will react to the marriage equality debate differently. For some, it might take a while for things to set in, and time to process that this might actually be happening. In these times, when people may be making a lot of homophobic, biphobic, transphobic or intersex exclusionary comments, it’s important to know …

Talk of marriage equality in Australia has taken centre stage over the past 12 months, even more so since a date for the upcoming plebiscite was announced for February 2017. The plebiscite as it stands, will essentially be a $160 million + popular vote on whether Australians want marriage equality or not. This, despite the many opinion polls that have already taken place and consistently show support for marriage equality, has been labeled by many as a waste of time, money and effort, especially seeing as the result is non-binding. This is a small price to pay though, compared to what the negativity from the plebiscite will do to the mental health and well-being of LGBTI+ Australians. It is therefore time for politicians and the media to take a seat, and for LGBTI+ people to have their voices heard, as it is their lives that will be directly and negatively affected should the plebiscite go ahead. We talked to six LGBTI+ people about how the plebiscite will affect the community, what they have to say …

On Monday night, March 21, Murray Street Mall was filled with people ready to show their support for the Safe Schools Coalition at the Stand Up for Safe Schools! Snap Rally. The rally was organised after the Liberal government announced plans to change, and eventually stop funding the program after 2017. Here are some photos of the rally, and of the people speaking up for Safe Schools in WA. To stay updated on issues relating to the LGBTIQ+ community in Australia, join the LGBTIQ+ Community Action Group on Facebook here. To show your support for Safe Schools and to let the government know what you think of their recent decisions visit ineedsafeschools.org.au. Lastly, remember to look after yourself! You can seek support at Lifeline and/or QLife! .

As news today hit of the changes to be made to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program, people were enraged, and rightly so. Today is National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, ironic really, considering the Australian government just hit LGBTI youth with a major form of bullying themselves. Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced changes to the program which include amending some lesson plans, restricting all program produced resources to secondary students, and resources such as “OMG I’m Queer”, “OMG My Friend’s Queer” and “Stand Out” to one-on-one counselling sessions between students and “qualified staff” (Buzzfeed). It was also indicated that Safe Schools would not continue to receive funding after 2017. In light of this information, a lot of people are probably asking themselves, “What can I do?” I know I found myself asking the same question. To put it simply, the best form of support in this kind of situation is being vocal! Talk to your communities, educate yourself on LGBTI issues, participate in rallies and protests, and most importantly, let the government …

A lot has happened in 2014, and a lot of progress has been made for the queer community. Let’s end the year on a high note and have a look at some of the more positive events and milestones from the last 12 months. The Queer Av! Okay so this is not exactly global or anything but I’m in the process of changing the name of this blog from The Gay Av to The Queer Av to make it more inclusive of the whole community. In other news, we are now on Instagram (@thequeerav), AND there are new and exciting projects and articles to come in 2015. Watch this space! A looooot of people came out this year in the LGBTIQ community. I’m not a fan of the whole ‘coming out ritual’ and I wish is wasn’t necessary for people to have to do. I can’t wait for the day when peeps don’t assume one’s gender and sexuality from the get go and therefore the event of coming out won’t exist. Having said this, it’s still …

President Obama is the first acting president to come out in support of marriage equality! He made his opinion known in an interview today, which he explained stemmed from his experience with gay staff in committed relationships and discrimination against gay service members. “I’ve stood on the side of broader equality I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient. But I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead …

Three same-sex couples dined with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the Lodge last night to talk about same-sex marriage. Gillard spoke of the increasing pressure on politicians to legalize same-sex marriage world wide. Sandy Miller and Louise Bucke brought their sons Matthew Miller, 12, and Dylan Miller, 9, to the dinner, who expressed their concern as to why their mothers and other same-sex couples can’t get married. “I don’t know really why I am here,” Matthew said. “To me, it is simple and this argument should have been settled long ago. People should be allowed to marry the person they love and to be accepted by all society.” Dylan had previously written to the Prime Minister on the issue but was glad to be able to express his feelings in person. “I just want her to have a think how much it would hurt her if she couldn’t marry the person she loves most in the whole world,” he said Ms Miller added that although Gillard is still against same-sex marriage, the meeting itself was a positive …

The Washington State Senate Passed a bill on Wednesday that will legalize same sex marriage. Gov. Chris Gregoire supports the measure and has agreed to sign it into law when it gets to the House. Applause broke out in the public galleries when the Senate passed the measure, a 28-21 vote. Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a gay lawmaker from Seattle, and the bill’s sponsor believes those who vote against gay marriage should not be accused of bigotry nor should those who vote for it be accused of “undermining family life or religious freedom.” “Marriage is how society says you are a family” he said. Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester argued against same sex marriage saying it will change the definition of marriage and “will lead to the silencing of those who believe in traditional marriage.” A referendum clause has been rejected, meaning opponents will have to wait to file a challenge once the law is passed. If opponents aren’t able to gather enough signatures, same sex couples will be able to get married starting June. For further information click here.

Starbucks published a statement January 24 showing their support for gay marriage legislation in the state House and Senate, Washington, DC. The growing list of Corporation support also includes Microsoft. Such support is aiding in the attempts for full marriage equality in Washington. The Starbucks statement reads as follows: To: U.S. partners Date: January 24, 2012 Re: A Message from Kalen Holmes: Starbucks Supports Marriage Equality Dear partners, Starbucks is proud to join other leading Northwest employers in support of Washington State legislation recognizing marriage equality for same-sex couples. Starbucks strives to create a company culture that puts our partners first, and our company has a lengthy history of leading and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion. This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender …